Texas Father Accused of Leaving 1-Month-Old Baby Alone on Porch Despite Knowing Mother Was Not Home, Police Say
WACO, TEXAS — A 35-year-old Texas man is facing a felony child endangerment charge after police say he left a 1-month-old baby alone on a front porch, despite knowing the child’s mother wasn’t home — and doorbell camera footage allegedly captured the entire incident.
The suspect, Merquez Bershawn James, is charged with abandoning or endangering a child with no intent to return, a second-degree felony that carries up to 20 years in prison, according to Waco police.
Mother Told Him She Wasn’t Home — But He Left the Baby Anyway
Police were called around 2 p.m. on Nov. 28 to a residence on North Lakeview Drive, after the baby’s mother reported that James said he was dropping the child off.
The mother told officers she repeatedly informed James she was not home, but investigators say he still placed the infant — strapped inside a car seat — on the porch and left.
Doorbell footage reportedly shows James setting the car seat down and walking away without waiting to confirm anyone was inside.
Baby Left Alone in Wind Chill Temps for Over 30 Minutes
Officers who arrived at the home say the baby was sitting outside in temperatures around 61°F, with a wind chill making it feel like 51°F.
In the arrest affidavit, police wrote:
“Officers were on the scene for over 30 minutes and the defendant did not come back in temperatures of 61 degrees, with a ‘feels like’ temperature of 51 degrees due to wind chill.”
The mother told police she called James several times to tell him to return for the baby — but he allegedly ignored her.
Suspect Released After Bond; Faces Up to 20 Years in Prison
James was booked into the McLennan County Jail on Wednesday on a $10,000 bond, according to jail records. He was no longer listed as being in custody as of Friday.
If convicted, James faces a possible sentence of 2 to 20 years under Texas law for felony child abandonment.
The infant was safely recovered by officers and was not reported to have any medical injuries.
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